The two ladies sipped their tea as each shared more of themselves. As Buttercup listened to Tansy talk, she grew more at ease—and more interested in the areas of magic. She wanted to know more. She was tired of being helpless and depending on Rhychard and the others to keep her safe. Not that there was anything to keep her safe from any more. Vargas, Adrian Michaels, and Jerome were all dead. She was free. For the first time in years, she was actually free. Yet, she was at a total loss as to what to do with that new-found freedom. She felt pathetic.